Mise à jour concernant le jugement rendu dans le procès du CSF, de la FPFCB et des parents codemandeurs contre le gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique
We write further to our press release of September 26, 2016, in order to keep you informed with respect to the conclusions that the plaintiffs are drawing with regard to the decision in the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF), the Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique (FPFCB), and the co-plaintiff parents’ court case against the province of British Columbia. We remind you that the trial judge, Loryl Russell of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, issued her decision last Monday, September 26, 2016.
As explained in our previous press release, the decision represents a partial victory for the plaintiffs. We assure you that, where the plaintiffs were not victorious, the CSF and the FPFCB are considering all options, including appealing the decision. The CSF’s and FPFCB’s Boards of Directors will continue to meet in the coming days and weeks in order to make fully informed decisions.
At this stage in our analysis of the court ruling, we are able to share the following list of significant advancements for the French-language community in British Columbia, which is non-exhaustive given that it is the fruit of our analysis to this point. These advancements are certainly cause for celebration, but there are elements of the decision that are worrisome. Both aspects will continue to be assessed. The gains are clear evidence that the resources invested in this litigation have already borne fruit and will benefit all of the community for many years to come, in the form of many hundreds of millions of dollars in capital funding.
We also take this opportunity to highlight that the decision marks an important step forward relative to the community’s position in 2010, when the litigation against the Province commenced. French-language education in British Columbia continues to grow: in the spring of 2010, the CSF’s student enrolment was 4,371 students, and it has grown to 5,713 today. The CSF’s secondary program is also flourishing and retention rates between elementary and secondary are improving. This year, there are 1,127 students enrolled in CSF secondary programs.